At a brown bag tasting with friends in L.A., in three flights, we tasted:
2017 Domaine du Vissoux / Pierre-Marie Chermette Fleurie Les Garants Gamay
Very savory, crunchy and autumnal tasting of fallen leaves with a distinct pine needle accent. Which doesn't sound great but it was my #2 of 5 in its flight. However, a retaste the next day was flat-out weird with notes not unlike a brand new shower curtain. Don't know what to make of this.
2016 Château de La Chaize Brouilly Gamay
Brilliant ruby color, terrific aromatics, but lacks complexity and substance on the palate. An early drinker.
2018 Domaine Chignard Fleurie Les Moriers Gamay
Loved this, best in its flight. Savory and sweet tomato fruit and dried thyme, very Burgundian.
2011 Domaine des Billards Saint-Amour Gamay
Taupe-y color. Sweet and savory at the same time, very 'together' and attractive with a bit of that geranium leaf note that I love in Beaujolais.
2018 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly Gamay
Brutally young and backward with candyish top notes and red licorice for fruit. Tasted blind; would not have guessed this to be from a good house like Thivin. Tough to appreciate so was last in its flight, but time should be good to it.
2011 Louis Jadot Morgon Côte du Py Château des Jacques Gamay
Mine. Splashed decanted several hours before the tasting, and it tasted okay but just that. Didn't live up to expectations based on our last bottle in 2018 when it seemed to have a long future ahead. #3 out of 5 for me and #5 out of 5 for the group.
2017 Domaine Piron & Lafont / Piron-Lameloise Moulin-à-Vent Vieilles Vignes Gamay
Slick and Modern, tart/sour, hollow. Not what I want from Beaujolais.
2016 Domaine Chignard Juliénas Beauvernay Gamay
Big, young, sophisticated, sexy. Honestly not ready yet for a PnP, but lots of come-hither moments and potential.
2014 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Clos de la Grand'Cour Gamay
My bottle, and my least favorite wine in the flight. Seemed older, fuzzy, lots of celery instead of fruit. I'd splash decanted it several hours earlier but that wasn't enough--a next day retaste from the bottle left open over night was magnificent and everything I'd have hoped for in the first place. Damn! And a crime, my only bottle and one I purchased and drug home from our 2017 trip.
1999 Bernard Santé Moulin-à-Vent Gamay
Ines brought this. Obviously mature but would never have guessed it was 20 years old. Elegant and complex, my favorite in its flight, and probably WOTN.
2016 Perroud Brouilly Les frères Perroud Gamay
Very similar to the Bichot in the same flight--very attractive with higher than average acidity. Left open overnight, second day it was all hard tannins. This one needs time.
2013 Maison Albert Bichot Morgon Les Charmes Gamay
Very good. Higher than average acidity but lively and quite attractive.
2017 Domaine de la Ronze Régnié Marie Vernay Gamay
My favorite in its flight. Everything's right in this wine, dark and floral. Blind, I guessed it a Fleurie.
2018 Jean-Louis Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand'Cour) Fleurie Clos de la Grand'Cour Gamay
Somewhat closed on first tasting, seemed light and lacking in fruit. Left open overnight and the next day it had noticeably more weight, fruit and delineation. Will be stellar but needs cellar time or a 24 hr slow ox.
And the day before the tasting, I popped these two for palate calibration purposes:
2011 Clos des Garlands 'Sublime'
Not bad, not great. Probably asleep--I know this wine and it should have been better.
2009 Girardin de la Tour du Bief Moulin-a-Vent
Best damned Beaujolais of the weekend. Supple fruit with a lot of leathery middle-aged characteristics and red-dirt minerality. This is the wine that should have been called 'Sublime'.